Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Michael and I arrived at Mena House at 4 a.m., fell into bed in a stupor, and awoke at noon to this amazing view.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
The 4,600 year-old pyramid of the pharaoh Khufu. At right is the pyramid of Khufu's son, the pharaoh Khafre.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
In Egypt's Western Desert, on our way to the Valley of the Whales.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Bedouin insouciance
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
40 million year-old whale vertebrae; one of hundreds of petrified whale skeletons discovered in this part of the Sahara.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Skull and vertebrae of a 40 million-year-old whale in the Valley of the Whales Museum, located in Egypt's Western Desert.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
'Ships of the desert' in The Fayoum, a vast, middle-of-the-desert lake about a 3-hour drive west from Cairo.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Like abstract art. A rest-stop in the Sahara.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
A stop for a traditional lunch in The Fayoum.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Shade!
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Grilled chicken and vegetables, saboob (Egyptian flatbread), the ubiquitous French fries, and a cooling lime drink.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Back to Mena House for a much-needed shower, followed by dinner with 5 of the 9 friends who joined Michael and me in Egypt. (The other 4 were en route.)
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Dinner with a view.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Our friends, from Canada, the States, and Australia, did not know each other before arriving in Cairo, but happily everyone hit-it-off immediately.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
It's a new day, and having recovered from her Los Angeles - Doha - Cairo flights, Diane is ready to take-on the Giza pyramids.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
The pyramid of Khafre is not as tall as that of his dad Khufu. But it is built at a higher elevation, and so it appears taller. At its top, Khafre's pyramid still retains some of the smooth-sided stone that once clad the entire structure.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Staring up at the north side of the 4,600 year-old Great Pyramid. A row of double chevrons diverts weight away from the entrance - hacked into during the Middle Ages.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Good little Australian that she is, Lindy shields her skin from the searing sun, while taking a break at the base of the Great Pyramid. Note the size of the massive stone blocks. 2.3 million of them were used to construct Khufu's tomb.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
In the early 1970s, when I first visited Egypt, these pyramids were out in the desert. Over the decades, ever-expanding Cairo has spread to the very edge of the Giza plateau.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
The Great Sphinx of Giza faces directly from west to east, with a face that appears to represent the pharaoh Khafre. The original shape of the Sphinx was cut from the bedrock, and has since been restored with layers of limestone blocks.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
The circumstances surrounding the Sphinx's nose being broken off are uncertain, but close inspection suggests a deliberate act using rods or chisels.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
My favorite feature of the Sphinx is the tail, wrapped tightly against the body in a pose familiar to any cat owner. (All that's missing is a twitching tip.)
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of all the pyramids in Egypt and Sudan, viewed from Mena House. This was originally a hunting lodge for Egypt's kings, but was turned into a hotel in 1869.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Approaching the entrance to the Grand Egyptian Museum. 20 years in the making, the GEM has yet to be completed. But it's possible to visit the stunning lobby, with its enormous statue of Ramesses ll, as well as the amazing staircases lined with statues.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Rameses ll is arguably the greatest of all the pharaohs. He ruled Egypt for over 60 years and died around age 90. He won 15 military campaigns, fathered some 100 children and built lavishly up and down the Nile.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Rameses ll is arguably the greatest of all the pharaohs. He ruled Egypt for over 60 years and died around age 90. He won 15 military campaigns, fathered some 100 children and built lavishly up and down the Nile.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Inside the uncompleted Grand Egyptian Museum.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Inside the uncompleted Grand Egyptian Museum.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Inside the uncompleted Grand Egyptian Museum.
Kenneth Allyn Barton:
Inside the uncompleted Grand Egyptian Museum.
